Life-saving apparatus.



W. E. PETERS. I

LIFESAVING'APPABATUS. APPLIoATIoN HLBD 82121228, 190s.

910,017'.A Patented Jan.19,19o9.

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emiten srArus PATENT ors-ion.

WILLIAM E. PETERS, OF NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA.

LIFE-SAVING APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. PETERS, a `citizen of the United States, residing at vNewport News, in the county of Warwick and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Life- ;Saving Apparatus; and I do declare the following to be a full,.clear, and exact description -o-f the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Ihis invention relates to life saving apparatuses and comprises the construction of a diving lbell provided with means for control-ling `the upper and lower openings of said bell.

@ne of the `objects of the invention is the 4production of a life saving apparatus provided with means for connecting the apparatus to the manhole of a ship.

Another object of the invention is the .production ofv a life saving apparatus com- 'prising a tank or container provided with 'means for' connecting the same to `the manjho'le of a ship, and 4with means 4for manually controlling the lower exit of the apparatus.

A still further .object of the invention is the production of a life saving apparatus adapted Y,to be lowered into a` body of water .and capable of being connected to a ship in such manner that persons. may be rescued from the ship and removed to the interior of the apparatus.

'With these and other objects in view, the inventionr consists of certain novel features o-f construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described and particular-ly pointed out in the appended claims.

IAn the drawing, the figure is a vertical sectional view of my improved apparatus.

Referring tothe drawing, 1 denotes atank or .container which preferably tapers at its upper and lower ends and is provided with cable .connecting rings, 2. The upper end of the Atank 1 is .provided with an opening, 8, which is closed by ,a manhole cover, 4, which cover is provided with screws, 5. Air is supplied to the tank by means of a conduit, 6, which may be arranged to extend through the manhole cover, 4, and said conduit is provided 1at its lower end with a controlling valve, 7 A second ,-conduit, 8, extends pref- Specication of Letters IPatent.

Application led September 28, 1908.

Patented Jan. 19, 1909.

Serial No. 454,984.

erably through the manhole cover, 4, and serves to conduct bad air from the tank. The conduits 6 and 8 may be employed as speaking tubes, and electric wires, '9, are preferably extended through the conduit 8, and connected with illuminating means, 10.

'A ladder, 11, extends vertically from the 60 'lower end of-the tank, on which it is suitably mounted, to the opening, 3.

The lower end'of the ytank 1 is formed with a seat, 12, adapted to accommodate a sliding valve cr gate, 13, which gate connects with an operating screw, 14. The operating screw 14 extends through a cage, 15, formed on the valve seat, 12, and is provided at its cuter end with an operating wheel, 16, which wheel is formed with a bevel gear, 17. A gasket, 18, surrounds the outer end ofthe screw stem, 14, and a cover, 19, which is formed with a bearing, 20, is secured to the cage, 15. A bevel gear 21, which is mounted upon an operating rod, 22, is adapted to engage with the bevel gear, 17,. and said operating rod is arranged to move in the bearing, 20, and extends at an oblique angle through the lower part of the tank, 1, and is provided at its upper end with a wheel, 28.

A gasket, 24, which is secured to the inner side lof the tank, 1, surrounds the rod, 22, and serves to prevent water from entering the tank. A tube, 25, connects with the lower end of the valve seat, 12, and said tube is provided with va securing ring, 2G, which carries a yplurality of screw eyelets, 27. The ring, 2G, is held in place on the tube, 25, by means of a flange, 28, formed on said tube, and by a second ring, 2,9, which is secured around the lower end of said tube. The tube, 25, is adapted to be connected with a manhole, 28, which is provided with the usual hooks 28 adapted to engage with the screw 95 eyelets27, and is provided with a ladder, 29.

The tank, 1, is provided with a manuallyoperated pump, 80, which rpump is suitably supported on the tank by means of a .platform, 81. A pipe, 31, connects with said 100 pump and is adapted to discharge at 32 into the surrounding water. The pipe,'81, is connected to a downwardly-inclined pipe,.33, which is adapted to supply ballast water Ito the lower part of the tank,- 1, and Vsaid vpipe 105 is provided at its upper end with a manually-operated three-way valve, 34:. A second downwardly inclined pipe, 35, connects with the pump 30 and with the ballast supply pipe, 33, and said ballast supply pipe, 33, is provided with a three-way valve, 34', and communicates with a pipe, 35, extending in a downward direction through the tube, 25, and terminating at a point slightly distant from the end of said tube.

After a diver has ascertained the position of a sunken ship, and one or more operators are assembled in the tank, l, the manhole cover 4 is secured in place and the conduits 6 and 8 are connected with suitable air-supplying, air-exhausting and light-supplying mechanism. The tank is then lowered by means of cables secured to the rings, 2, and with the assistance of the diver above the sunken ship, and the tube, 25, is connected with the manhole of said ship. To assist in lowering the apparatus, ballast water is allowed to enter the tank, l, by means oi" the ballast supply pipe, 33, and the cock, 34e. When the tube, 25, is connected with the manhole by the diver, the three-way valve, 34:, is operated so that communication between the discharge port, 32, and the ballast supply pipe, 33, is closed, and communication is established between the pump, 30, and said discharge port. When this has been accomplished, the pump 30 is operated so that wat-er in the lower part ot the tank 1, which has been used to ballast the same, is removed by means of said pump through the pipes, 33 and 35. Vhen all the water has been removed from the lower part of the tank, 1, the three-way valve, 34', is operated so that communication is establlished between the lower end of the ballast supply pipe, 33, and pipe 35', and the pump is operated so that water contained in the tube, 25, is removed. When this has occurred, the gate or valve, 13, is opened by means of the operating wheels, 23 and 17, or by one of said operating wheels. In order to determine whether it will be safe for the operators in the tank, l, to open the valve, 13, and to descend through the tube, 25, the apparatus is supplied with an air conduit, 36, which is provided with a safety cock, 37, said conduit being arranged to extend upwardly through the tank, l, and within easy reach of the ladder, l1.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacricing any of the advantages of the invention as delined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is:

l. An apparatus ot the class described comprising a tank, means tor lowering the tank into a body of water, means for closing the upper end ot' the tank, means tor supplying air to the tank, and means for supplying light to the tank extending through the air supplying means, means for closing and opening the lower end of the tank, means for allowing ballast water to enter the tank, and means for removing water from the tank.

2. An apparatus of the class described comprising a tank, means for lowering the tank into a bodyof water, means for supplying ballast water to the tank, means for removing water from the tank, manuallyoperated means for closing the lower end of the tank, a tube connected with the tank and arranged to connect with the manhole of a ship, and means for removing water from the tube.

3. An apparatus ot the class described comprising a tank, means for closing the upper and lower ends of the tank, means for supplying ballast water to the tank, a pump mounted on the tank arranged to remove water from the tank, and a ladder supported on the tank.

'4. An apparatus ot the class described comprising a tank, a manhole cover for closing the upper end ot the tank, a sliding valve for closing the lower end of the tank, means for operating the sliding valve from the exterior of the tank, means for operating the sliding valve from the interior of the tank, means for supplying ballast water to the tank, and means tor removing the ballast water.

5. An apparatus of the class described, comprising a tank, means for closing the upper end of the tank, a sliding valve for controlling the lower end of the tank, means for operating the sliding valve from the eX- terior of the tank, and means for operating the sliding valve from the interior of the tank.

6. An apparatus of the class described, comprising a tank, a sliding valve for controlling the lower end of the tank, an operating screw for operating the sliding valve, a wheel formed with a bevel gear mounted on the operating screw, and a rod arranged to extend through the tank formed with a bevel gear arranged to engage with the firstmentioned bevel gear and adapted to operate the same.

7. An apparatus of the class described comprising a tank, means for closing the upper end of the tank, means for closing the lower end of the tank, a tube connected to the tank, and means for connecting the tube to the manhole of a ship.

8. An apparatus of the class described tank, and means for removing the ballast 10 comprising a tank, means for securing the Water and Water from the connecting means. tank to the manhole of a ship, means for In testimony whereof I have hereunto set controlling communication between said my hand in presence of tWo subscribing -means and the tank, means for operating Witnesses.

the controlling means from the interior of VILLIAM E. PETERS. the tank, means for operating the control- Vitnesses:

ling means from the exterior of the tank, Go'r'rno HEIM,

means for supplying ballast Water to the CHARLES C. BERKELEY. 

